The next national census in the United Kingdom will take place
on April 29th 2001. The main faith groups are hoping that it will
include a question on religious affiliation and have been lobbying
for this since 1996. The White Paper 'The 2001 Census of Population'
(March 1999) proposed that such a question should be included
for the first time in the census for England and Wales - Northern
Ireland already has this question. In December 1999, the Government
announced that a Private Member's Bill would be presented in the
House of Lords so that Parliament may debate and endorse the necessary
amendment to the Census Act 1920.

FAITH GROUPS STAND TOGETHER

The main lobbying effort for the inclusion of the religion question
in the next Census has been carried out by the Religious Affiliation
Sub-Group of the Working Group on Content, Question Testing and
Classifications, originally convened by the Office for National
Statistics (ONS). This Sub-Group has reconstituted itself independent
of the ONS in June 1998, as the 2001 Religion Affiliation Sub-Group.
Both the groups have been chaired by the Revd. Professor Leslie
J Francis of the Centre for Theology and Education, Trinity College,
Carmarthen. Members of the group include the Church of England,
the Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Muslim Council of Britain
(and prior to October 1997 the UK Action Committee on Islamic
Affairs), Jain Samaj Europe, Network of Sikh Organisations, Inner
Cities Religious Council, and the Inter Faith Network for the
UK.

Professor Francis, with assistance of members, prepared a document
‘Indicative Business Case for a religious question’ in May 1997.
A task of the group was to identify potential ‘users’ of a religious
affiliation question (government departments and local authorities)
and to persuade them as to the value of such statistics, so that
they would include reference to it in their own submissions to
the ONS. Meetings were held with these departments in June-July
1997.

THE CASE FOR A RELIGION QUESTION

Below are extracts from the document ‘The case for a question
on religion in the 2001 Census’ prepared by Professor Francis:

"….The Religious Affiliation Sub-Group recognises that the
census is a tool for departments of local and central government
to help them implement their responsibility for the equitable
allocation of public resources and the execution of government
policy. Further the group recognises that census topics are assessed
on their capacity to provide information that (1) is ‘required
in order to implement or comply with legislation’; (2) would ‘result
in benefit to the nation’.

The view of the Sub-Group is that the religious factor in society
must be taken into account if these criteria and the broad aims
of government are to be properly met. The inclusion of a religion
question is entirely consistent with the Prime Minister’s approach
to government ‘which draws its strength from the people’ and fosters
‘partnership’ and ‘social inclusion’. Hilary Armstrong’s belief
that people should be involved in the ‘design and delivery of
services’ and Richard Caborn’s pledge to involve faith communities
at a local level in regeneration both echo this concern.

The failure to include a question on religion will give a signal
that the government is not serious about respecting and including
members of faith communities. Moreover, it may directly affect
the acceptability of the census in disadvantaged multi-racial,
multi-faith communities where returns were low in the last census…..

…Without census data on religion, the government cannot readily
demonstrate its compliance with the law under sub-sections of
Section 11 of the Education Reform Act 1988 (amended 1993) or
Part III of the Children Act 1989. In addition, references to
religion are made in the NHS and Community Care Act 1990 and the
Criminal Justice Act 1991. Local Authorities require data on religious
affiliation to assess whether they are fulfilling their duties
under the Race Relations Act 1976. Census data on religion could
also be crucial to the developments in future legislation, particularly
in the light of current Home Office research into the nature and
extent of religious discrimination and Article 13 of the Amsterdam
Treaty enabling European Union institutions to bring forward proposals
relating to legislation against racism, xenophobia and religious
discrimination.

……Health and community care – part III of the Children Act 1989
puts an explicit requirement on Social Services departments to
act with ‘sensitivity to ethnic group and religion’. The importance
of this was strongly endorsed by a recent CCETSW/ICRC symposium
on Social Care and Religion, at which two senior ministers spoke.
However, without proper census data these clear affirmations of
religion’s social importance are left unsupported. This contradiction
persists despite a wealth of research literature clearly demonstrating
the importance of religious differences in predicting demands
on medical resources and health care. The predictive power of
religion in terms of susceptibility to and recovery from a wide
range of physical and mental illnesses is well documented and
has important implications for service provision.

……Education – under sub-sections of section 11 of the Education
Reform Act 1988 (amended 1993) local authorities are responsible
for identifying ‘such Christian denominations and other religions
and denominations of such religions as, in the opinion of the
authority, will appropriately reflect the principal religious
tradition of the area’. This requirement refers specifically to
area level and cannot be met without census data. Although the
DfEE requests that schools monitor the religious identities of
pupils, such data would be more meaningful if supplemented by
information on the wider context. Particularly with the recent
integration of the Muslim community into the state maintained
provision of schools, developments in education will need to become
increasingly sensitive to the distribution of faith groups."

STATEMENT FROM THE MUSLIM COUNCIL OF BRITAIN

…British Muslims, particularly British-born Muslims, identify
themselves on the basis of faith rather than ethnicity or national
origin.

The allocation of resources and the monitoring of discrimination
on the basis of ethnicity alone is therefore no longer adequate.
An objective of the 2001 census is to provide essential statistics
for the more equitable allocation of public services and better
planning on matters such as community relations, health care,
education, employment and housing. Without a religious affiliation
question, the 2001 census will lose a valuable data collection
opportunity.

The inclusion of a religious affiliation question will also send
a signal to the British Muslim community that their presence and
contribution is recognised. Muslims resent being treated as the
‘invisible’ element of British society, whose needs and strengths
stand unrecognised by public and civic services.

PILOT TRIALS CARRIED OUT BY THE OFFICE FOR NATIONAL STATISTICS

SMALL SCALE TESTING

A cognitive test carried out with twenty-seven people from
non-white ethnic groups in March and April 1997 by the Qualitative
Methods Unit in Social Survey Division

The main aim of the test was to assess the acceptability and
understanding of a revised ethnic group and a religion question…The
purpose of the testing the religion question was mainly to find
out how the Asian respondents in the sample would use it.

Question format: Do you consider you belong to a religious
group? No, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Islam/Muslim, Jewish,
Sikh, Any other religion , please write in below.

Generally, respondents were neutral in their reaction to the
inclusion of religion question…the question was popular with
some Asian respondents, who felt that religion was important
to their identity and wished to differentiate themselves from
other religious groups.

1997 CENSUS TEST

The 1997 Census Test (15th June 1997) included a
question on religion. The question was designed to meet users’
stated requirements for information about the size and socio-economic
profile of specific religious groups, in order to improve understanding
of ethnicity and support service provision. The qustion format
was as in the small scale test.

Questionnaires were distributed to over 90,000 households in
selected areas in Birmingham, Brent, Glasgow, Alton, Thame,
Bridlington, Craven and South West Argyll. The test was voluntary
and over 55% of households returned their form. This level of
response is in line with the voluntary tests held before previous
recent censusus.

The response rate and the quality of responses to the religion
question were good (statement of John Dixie, ONS). The completion
rate of the religion question was 91.6%, which shows that the
question is not objectionable to most people.

1998 CENSUS TEST

This is a report on the findings of a qualitative test carried
out between December 1997 and February 1998 by the Qualitative
Unit in Social Survey Division. In-depth interviews using cognitive
question testing techniques were carried out with 72 people
from eight ethnic minority groups. The purpose of this test
was to examine the acceptability and understanding of a revised
religion question for the 2001 Census. Our aim was to establish
whether the question was acceptable, how it was understood,
whether it would give accurate answers, and how respondents
came to give their answers.

The following question was tested: What is your religion? Indicate
a specific religion even if you are not a practising member
of that group: None, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Islam,
Jain, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Any other religious faith – please
write in.

All respondents answered this question for themselves and their
households. No concern was expressed about the topic being included
on the Census.

FUTURE TRIALS

The next main test would be the 1999 Dress Rehersal, which would
include the question and form design planned for the 2001 Census.
This will take place on 25th April 1999. It will involve
133,600 households.

SOME ARGUMENTS AGAINST A RELIGIOUS QUESTION AND RESPONSES

1. Raised by Graham Zellick, Vice Chancellor, University of London,
in his letter to The Times, October 16, 1998:

"….Such a question would be objectionable in principle for
two fundamental reasons. First, it is wholly inconsistent with
our traditions of freedom and personal privacy to ask a question
about a person’s religious beliefs, presumably (at least in theory)
on pain of criminal prosecution for a refusal to answer….Secondly,
in answer to the argument that it would be useful for these religious
bodies to have reliable information about their supporters in
order to plan their own welfare and educational services, it must
be observed that it is improper to use the unique power of the
State to ascertain information so that these bodies can carry
out their own functions. It must also be wondered whether, given
the difficulties surrounding definitions of religious affiliation,
the statistics obtained would have any value whatever."

Response to Professor Zellick by Professor Francis, Chair of
the Census 2001: Religious Affiliation Group (letter not published
by The Times):

"….The opposition to a question on religion in the next
census expressed by Graham Zellick in his letter of October 12,
is based on two fundamental misapprehensions. First he argues
that it would contraven our rights to privacy, and second, that
it would be an abuse of state powers to use a census to gather
information for the benefit of religious bodies.

In response to the first point, it should be made clear that
the proposed question would ask respondents to state their religious
affiliation, if they have one, not to disclose information about
their private beliefs and practices. The census, by its very nature,
elicits a great deal of private information, but with the guarantee
of confidentiality.

In response to the second point, it should be made clear that
far from serving the agenda of religious bodies, the primary reason
for asking about religious affiliation is to predict needs in
all areas of government concern, from health care and social welfare
to education and employment and thereby to ensure the equitable
allocation of public resources…"

2. Raised by David Coleman, Reader in Demography, University
of Oxford, in his letter to The Times, 12th January 1999

"….Religious faith is a private matter, not to be pried
into by compulsory public inquiries. Most of us, even if religious,
do not structure our lives around religion, which is the active
pursuit of an increasingly small minority. It follows no important
demand from the general public interest and relates to no general
problems.

The main reason for its proposed inclusion is the desire by ethnic
minority populations and their pressure groups, particularly Muslims,
to be able to number and to label themselves publicly. This may
be in their short-term interest, enabling them to argue for more
group related privileges and facilities and exercise power over
and above that available to them as citizens.

But it is not in the national interest for the census to encourage
people to segregate themselves from the rest of the population
and to emphasise their differences from each other. That way lies
a new, creeping statistical apartheid which can hardly serve the
integration of minorities of immigrant origin or encourage feelings
of common citizenship in a secular society. If Muslims and Sikhs
want information about their adherents, they can do their own
research….It was bad enough having a question on our ethnic origin
in the last (and forthcoming census). I hope that public opposition
to this further divisive proposal will persuade Mr Straw and the
Government to think again."

Response from Dr J Sherif, Muslim Council of Britain’s representative
on Census 2001: Religious Affiliation Group (letter published
in The Times, 21st January 1999)

Dr David Coleman is unfair in singling out the Muslim community
and other ethnic groups for criticism (letter, January 12). The
need for such a question reflects the wishes of the main faith
communities in the United Kingdom, including the Christian Churches.
An interfaith group, chaired by Revd. Professor Leslie J. Francis,
has prepared a 'business case' in support of the proposal, using
guidelines provided by the Office for National Statistics. Several
government departments, such as the Department of Environment,
Transport and Regions, have indicated that statistics on religious
affiliation would be very useful in their work, as it would lead
to better resource allocation. So rather than creating a climate
of "statistical apartheid", better data on religious affiliation
will help addressing issues of disadvantage and exclusion in society.
Australia, Canada and New Zealand are some countries that have
included such a question in their Census. Is there evidence that
this has "encouraged people to segregate themselves"?

SOME CONCERNS

A representative of the MCB’s ReDoc (Research & Documentation)
Committee attended a one-day workshop organised by the Office
for National Statistics in May 1999. Following this briefing,
the MCB initiated a campaign to ensure that if a religion question
was asked, the results would be in the public domain. The ONS’s
original proposal was that the free publication called the ‘Key
Statistics’ would aggregate non-Christian faiths into a general
‘Other heading. The detailed data by faith groups would then only
be available at a cost in other customised reports from the ONS.
The MCB objected to this, and also to the proposal that the Census
‘Standard Tables’ relating to religion should be limited to cross-tabulations
by age and gender only. The MCB submitted a detailed response
to the ONS and also sought the support of census data users. The
MCB’s position is that the Census relies on public cooperation
and British Muslims and other minority faiths will undoubtedly
be more responses to a Census containing the religion question.
This is because the Census is seen as a landmark opportunity through
which society can be better informed on the multireligious and
multicultural make up of our society. If the ONS does not publish
the results of the religion question in detail then this will
be regarded as a failure of the Census. For the 2001 Census to
make its mark on the social climate of Britain it should reflect
the popular campaign for the religion question.

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